Finding Utopia
by SoggyTeabags
Summary: "I ran. I ran for my life. I had dared to love another man, and so I was to be killed. Once outside in the open, it's a completely different world..." Berwald is an exile of Utopia, along with Lukas, Mathias and Emil. Their reason for exile you ask? Well, you'll just have to find out. Tino, the newest exile, has more questions than there are answers. Full prologue/summary inside.
1. Prologue

**Finding Utopia - Prologue**

June 23rd, 2008

_I was to be exiled. I knew what they did with people like me. This city is a lie, and anyone who goes against the government is either exiled or taken to the correctional facility. _

_Nobody knows what they do to people in there. They say that it's a hospital for the un-well. But anyone who gets admitted is never seen again. The handi-capped, the mentally ill, homosexuals, those with learning difficulties, they all 'contaminate' that place. They ruin the beauty of Utopia. And so they must be punished. Left to die. _

_They hunt you down. On most occasions, they snatch you right from the streets. You disappear without a trace. I'm guessing that this is to avoid suspicion. How would the entirety of the city react of they knew what was going on around them? Nobody can tell, because unless you yourself have been exiled, you won't know anything about the dark secrets the city holds. And even if you do know, there is no telling, because once you have been transferred over the border, out of Utopia and into the vast, other world beyond, there is no going back. Your very existence wiped from the data of the world you were once part of._

_Eventually, anyone who knew you will forget you, whether they want to or not._

_I ran. I ran for my life. I had to. I had dared to love another man, and so I was to be killed. They left me to die. Once outside in the open, it's a completely different world. The closest village is miles away, a trek through bitter weather, dirt, and a landscape rich with vicious creatures. There is water, there is food. There is life, there is shelter. But you have to find it. _

_I was lucky. I'm strong, I'm healthy, so I was able to reach the village miles from the great walls of Utopia in which I now reside. But for someone in a wheelchair, or for someone weaker than I, it's impossible. Myself and a handful of other villagers have now devoted our existence to help other exiles survive. To find them. To feed them. To care for them. Nobody deserves to die, so I won't let them. _

_Every day before night-fall, we venture out, back towards Utopia. I always hope that my trip will be pointless, and I return empty handed, because that means that there have been no exiles to pick up that day. We find the occasional body of someone who sadly could not hold on, and sometimes its days before we find any survivors, for they continue to walk in circles, looking for something that can save them, so when we do eventually find them they are weak, limp and lifeless. It's heart-breaking. But it's the reality of our world._

_But it's our job as human being to protect each other. We call ourselves the Vikings, powerful human beings unlike any other. We have our differences, but combined, they make us stronger than the 'Aryan race' of Utopia. Out here is the real Utopia. Vast acres of fields, made green by the care of our people. Village life is not always the best, but we get by on what we have. We are free. Being exiled from that wretched place was the best thing that's ever happened to me, now that I'm old enough to realise._

_I, Berwald Oxenstierna, will do all I can to protect the lives of fellow exiles, no matter what their reason for exile was, I will do all I can, and guard their life, with mine. _


	2. Chapter 1

Friday 2nd June, 2015

(Tino's POV)

The rain was pouring down heavily. It was a good job that I checked the weather forecast this morning and brought an umbrella. I took it from my satchel, opened it up and set out into the night. I had been studying at the library for countless hours and had lost track of time. Mother was going to kill me. The gloomy skies matched my mood perfectly. I hated this city. I haven't a clue why, everything just feels wrong, like we're ahead of our time. Large metal skyscrapers, robots sweeping the streets, holographic cashiers, it's not right! I've heard tales of another world outside of Utopia, with people different to us, but still the same. Human beings. I don't tell my mother of course, she'll only worry about me. It's probably only a silly rumour anyway. It's a nice place to live, Utopia, don't get me wrong. The people are friendly and life is well, I just feel as though something is being hidden within this place. My best friend, Eduard, went missing about a year ago. Life hasn't been the same without him. He just disappeared without a trace, his records, everything. Gone.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket, bursting my thought bubble and bringing me back to reality. Sliding it out of my pocket, I glanced at the caller ID before answering it. I saw that it was my close friend, Elizabeta. "Hey, Liz." I said casually, switching the umbrella to my left hand and placing the phone at my ear.

"Tino! Are you alright? You've seemed pretty out of it all day. I was going to come and find you after class but you'd already left by the time I was dismissed." She spoke pretty quickly, but I felt touched that she was concerned about me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just having one of those days…" I said honestly.

She tutted in response. "You can tell me if something's wrong you know. You've not been yourself lately. Is everything alright at home?"

"Yeah yeah, everything's fine. Mom's as bubbly as ever," I laughed a little at the thought of my mother, she and I were like two peas in a pod. She seemed to have a soft spot for Elizabeta too.

"Oh, speaking of my mother, I forgot to ask you yesterday, she invited you round for dinner on Sunday, she's making that grilled salmon dish that you like. Are you available?"

"Of course I am! I have a few questions to ask you too actually about the Math homework that's due in next week. Should I bring my notes over?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to help." I smiled a little now, Elizabeta always found a way to cheer me up, even if it wasn't intentional.

"Okay, great. I'll see you Sunday."

I hung up and shoved my phone back into my pocket. The rain was starting to come down heavier now, so I decided to quicken my pace. If I'm honest, I was surprised my mom hadn't called me yet to check where I was.

* * *

I arrived home no less than ten minutes later, but to find my house completely dark. I took the key out of my pocket and turned it in the lock, but it was already unlocked. I started to panic. Opening the door slightly I stuck my head inside, too petrified to even step into my own house. A chill ran down my spine as I spotted two figures standing at the end of my hallway.

They were whispering quietly amongst themselves. I wasn't sure if they were ignoring me, or if they hadn't noticed me. I held by breath and snuck back outside and back down my garden path when suddenly a pair of gloved hands covered my face from behind. The leather was cold and tight on my face, so tight that I could hardly breathe. I tried to kick and scream, hoping to either free myself from the harsh grip of my captor or attract attention from anyone passing by. But their grip was too strong.

I felt a sharp pain shoot through my neck, I arched by back and writhed in pain, unable to soothe the burning pain that was pulsing through my body, then, everything went black…

* * *

When I awoke, there were no words to describe how I felt. I lay amongst tall grass, looking up at a blue sky. A gentle breeze blew across my face, blowing my hair against my face lightly, tickling me. I sat up slowly, the pain re-entering my neck when I moved. I blinked a few times, hoping that it would help my eyes to adjust to the harsh, bright light of the sun. Grassy fields stretched for miles in every direction, they stretched all the way to the distant blue mountains that connected the land to the sky. Suddenly, I heard a terrible screeching sound come from behind me. Naturally, I whipped my head around to see if I could locate where the sound was coming from, but quickly ducked down. A huge, scaled, bird-like creature like nothing I had ever seen before swooped over my head, its talons barley missing me by half an inch.

That was it. Despite my aching body, I picked myself up and ran. I didn't know where I was running to, or where I was going to hide, everywhere around me was open field! Daring to take a quick glance over my shoulder, I spotted the creature heading towards me at great speed. I ducked again, throwing myself to the ground, but this time the monster managed to catch my arm, tearing my clothing and leaving a huge gash across my shoulder blade. I cried out in pain and clutched my shoulder, trying my best to get up again, but my body just wouldn't move. My legs burned from running and my neck throbbed from turning my head so quickly.

Was I going to die? Was that creature going to eat me? Where the hell was I? I tried to tell myself that this was all just a nightmare, and I would wake up any minute, but the searing pain shooting through my arm confirmed that I was well and truly in awake.

Out of the corner or my eye, I saw the creature approaching once again. I screwed my eyes shut, tears escaping and rolling down my cheeks, and prepared myself for the impact of the creature swooping down and snatching me up, but it never came. Instead I heard the distinct sound of the gallop of horses' hooves and a loud 'thump' as something heavy hit the ground. Everything went quiet. I could no longer hear the hooves of the horse, or the beating sound of the creature's wings. Just silence.

"Var är du? Rop hvis du kan høre meg!"*

A voice suddenly broke the silence, calling out in a language I didn't understand.

"Gutt! Svara meg!" they called out again, this time though they sounded as if they were approaching nearer and nearer.

"Hello? Ah- I-I'm over here!" I shouted back hoping that they would understand. I tried my best to get up, but the immense pain in my body would not allow it. The footsteps picked up their pace, almost as if they had begun running, then someone suddenly threw themselves onto their knees next to me. Squinting up at them, I noticed that it was a young boy, not much older than myself by the looks of it. He had soft looking, light blonde hair, one side falling over his face as he leaned over me, the other tucked neatly behind his ear, held in place by a single pin in the shape of a cross.

"English." He said. It seemed more like an answer than a question, like he was confirming something to himself.

"You're hurt. Can you stand?" his words were very blunt and to the point, but I wasn't complaining. At least he wasn't messing around when he could see I was in pain. I shook my head. Unexpectedly, he slid his arms under my back and lifted me up. I instantly tensed up, not quite knowing what to do. This boy was much stronger than he looked! Considering that I wasn't the lightest of people either. He lifted me onto the back of the horse that I heard earlier and forced my feet into the stirrups. I obeyed his actions and didn't question him, I was in too much pain and he was doing a kind thing, rescuing me. Had he killed that monster? He swung himself up onto the horse and sat infront of me.

"Hold on as tight as you can. Wrap your good arm around my waist. You're safe now."

But was I really safe? I was on this back of a horse, in a clearly foreign land with a strange boy who had just slayed a terrifying creature and saved my life. Where in the world was I?

* * *

Thank you all for such great feedback on just the prologue! I was really excited to start this story, and I really hope I can stick with it. Reviews really motivate me, and in the past I have dis-continued stories because of the lack of feedback I got because I was under the impression no-body like them. So please, review if you can. That'd be fantastic and much appreciated!

*Now for a little side note. For the language of this new mysterious land I have created a combination of Swedish, Danish and Norwegian words. You'll understand why later on as the story progresses.

It says: "Where are you? Shout if you can hear me!" "Boy, answer me!"

Thank you for reading, and I'm sorry if my writing style is a little strange. This is my first time writing in first person, and it's a little hard to adjust.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter two:

I hung on as tight as I could as we rode through the vast fields of green. The horse had really picked up speed now. Wind whipped through my hair, and a nice breeze blew across my face taking my mind off of the blood from my throbbing arm that had now soaked my clothes. It felt like we had been riding for a very long time. The boy that I hung onto hadn't said a single word to me, he just rode the horse, very expertly too. We were traveling at great speed, yet it was still a comfortable ride. Riding seemed to come natural to him, like he'd been riding for years. He smelt like earth, like the forest.

Suddenly, the terrain changed and we slowed down considerably. I sat up quickly when I heard the horses' hooves switch from riding across grass and field to some sort of road made from pebbles. We were now in a village, a small town like no-where I had ever seen before! How had I not noticed this in the distance? The buildings were made from wood, stone and plaster, with pretty little wooden shutters framing the windows. Houses were built into the hillside, intertwined among magnificent roots belonging to trees reaching almost above the clouds. The air was thick with all kinds of different smells, some sweet, like freshly baked bread, and some foul, like the sewer. People stared as we rode past, though some nodding or waving to the boy infront of me, whose name I had yet to discover, but he ignored them. We carried on riding, past the busy streets filled with people, horse and carts and shops, and out into another vast open space. But this time there was no green grass, just dusty, mountainous terrain with dead tree stumps and wilted plants all around us. I screwed up my face and buried it into the boys back in an attempt to keep the dust that rose from below from scratching my eyes. Then we finally stopped. In the ground were stone steps leading underground.

"Wait here." The blonde boy instructed as he dismounted the horse and tied the reigns to a wooden stump. Then he disappeared down the steps and vanished into the darkness. I strained my ears trying to listen for any sounds, anything at all, but once the pitter-patter of his feet on the steps faded away, all was quiet. I lay down on the horses back, clinging onto it by slipping my good arm around its belly, breathing in its warm scent. All kinds of thoughts began entering my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about the state I had found my house in. Who were those people and what had they done with my mother? What had they done with me?

"-so useless, Lukas! You could have at least tied it with something and applied pressure to ease and stop the bleeding. We're starting to run out of spare cloth as it is; now we have to fork out some more for bandages? You know Emil hasn't had time to go to the drop off yet…"

"What was I supposed to use? I had nothing with me but my weapon. I was out hunting, not searching for exiles. It's not my groups turn tonight anyway, it's yours. But I couldn't just leave him to die."

Muffled voices began to get clearer and clearer as two people emerged from the darkness below. I recognised the shorter of the two; the one who had saved me, whose name I figured was Lukas, as he was being addressed by the other. He was much taller than Lukas, with sandy blonde, wild hair. He wore a burgundy coloured tunic over brown baggy trousers tucked into clothed boots, leather lacing wound around them, binding them to his feet. They didn't look at all comfortable. It was now that I realised just how odd the clothes that they wore were. I was in too much of a daze earlier to realise what Lukas was wearing, but now that I was properly focused I noticed that his clothes were very similar to the taller boy he stood next to, only his tunic was navy blue and his trousers were black and nowhere near as baggy. On his feet were tan coloured boots, also wound by leather lacing. Myself, on the other hand, wore what any 'normal' teenager would wear. Skinny jeans, sneakers, a long sleeved white t-shirt and a hoodie, my favourite one in fact, now ruined; covered in blood, dust, rips and tears.

"Hey there, it's ok. You're safe now. Lukas told me what a close call you had with that Sky Monster. Come, we'll clean that wound and get you some fresh clothes. My name is Mathias by the way." The taller of the two approached me, and began to slide me off of the horse and into his arms. He spoke to me in a calm, hushed tone, like I was a small child. I was still in shock though, so I didn't question anything and I let him carry me down the steps, Lukas followed close behind. The steps led down into a tunnel, the walls were damp and dripping, though torches burned brightly from heavy metal holders along the wall, illuminating the pathway. Many large wooden doors also lined the walls. We stopped in front of one. Lukas stepped past Mathias and opened the door. It swung open and we were greeted by a warm, cosy room. Rows and rows of books lined the walls, along with shelves full of pretty little colourful glass bottles.

"Mathias, you can put him down. He can still walk you know. He's going to have to toughen up, so why not start now?" Lukas said a little bitterly as he approached a large wooden chest. He unlatched it and heaved it open, diving inside and pulling out several pieces of cloth.

"Oh. Yeah, Sorry." He laughed lightly and gently let me down, I stepped gingerly onto the stone floor. I looked around, unsure of what to do with myself.

"Mathias, make yourself useful will you, and go fetch the soap and water." Lukas again shot a blunt command at Mathias, still with his back turned. Mathias simply nodded and left the room quietly, closing the door behind him. I didn't like the feeling of Mathias leaving my side, I was left alone in the room with Lukas, and I was starting to feel a little awkward. I had already gotten used to Mathias' company; he was easier to be around than Lukas. I shifted uncomfortably on the spot when he glanced at me from the corner of his eye when he began to lay the cloth out on a table.

"You can come here you know. I know this it's a strange feeling, suddenly waking up in this place. But we've all been through it. You're not alone." He pulled out a wooden chair from underneath the table where he laid out the cloth and motioned for me to take a seat.

"Mathias will be back with the soap and water to clean your wound any second now. I'm going to need to remove your clothing so I can get to it."

I felt myself heat up a little in embarrassment, but it was the only way I was going to sort this mess out. So I simply nodded, and he gave me a faint smile. He took hold of a pair of heavy looking metal scissors and began to cut through my shirt and jacket. I was grateful that he chose to do it this way and not try and pry off my clothing by moving my shoulder out of the sleeves, which would no doubt cause me immense pain.

"So, now that we've finally calmed down. What's your name?"

Oh, that's right. I'd not even introduced myself yet.

"My name is Tino."

"And what was your reason for exile, Tino?"

"My what?"

He paused what he was doing and looked me directly in the eyes. "The reason you were left out here. What did you do that they didn't like?"

"I… I don't know what you mean. I never did anything bad. I just remember going home to an empty house, I couldn't find my mother, so I left my house not knowing what to do, and suddenly I got snatched from behind. I can't remember anything after that. I woke up here."

Lukas had become closer to my wound now, and was now peeling the strips of fabric from what was once my t-shirt from the dried blood on my skin. I drew in a quick breath as he then quickly ripped it from my body, like one would rip off a band-aid.

"Ouch! That stings…"

Just then, Mathias entered with a large wooden bowl filled with warm, soapy water. "If you thought that stung, you haven't had soap in a wound before. That stings." He chuckled upon entering, setting the bowl down on the table beside Lukas, who began to soak a rag in the water. After about a minute or so, he squeezed it out a little and brought it to my wound. "Ahhh FUCK!" I cursed and writhed around in pain as Lukas pressed down the cloth firmly.

"I told you." Mathias flashed a cocky grin and pulled up another chair next to me, straddling it backwards and resting his chin on the back of it. To take my mind off of the burning pain of the wound, I decided to follow up on what Lukas asked me earlier.

"So, is there no going back? You two were exiled too, right?"

"Yes there is no going back. This is your home now." Lukas answered me very quickly, avoiding the second part of my question.

"But what about my mother, my friends?"

Was I never to see them again? I don't think I could live knowing that I never got to say a proper goodbye, and I didn't even know if my mother was safe…

"Forget about them. They'll only tie you to the past. Forget them all."

Mathias placed his hand on my arm in sympathy. I bowed my head as tears escaped and rolled down my cheeks. I didn't want to be here with these people. I would rather have been killed by that creature than have survived and have to live out here, away from everyone and everything I had ever loved.

"But why? Where even am I? I thought tha-" I snivelled, unable to contain my sadness any longer.

"Shhh. Enough questions. It's easier to forget them. Trust me." Lukas cooed, interrupting me.

I felt Mathias give my arm a little squeeze, and Lukas removed the cloth from my arm. The bleeding had completely stopped now, and all that was left was a large, clean gaping gash in my skin. It made me feel sick to look at it, so I turned away. Lukas wrapped it up in cloth and secured it tightly, like a bandage. The cloth he used didn't look very clean, but it was kind of him to treat me like he did, even when he stated earlier that there was a shortage of cloth, so I didn't say anything.

"There. Good as new." Mathias beamed from his position next to me.

"Can you move it?" Lukas asked.

I shrugged my shoulder lightly, but winced. I could move it alright, but it was painful.

"Now stand. I'll fix you some new clothes."

* * *

It took a while, a lot of measuring, snipping and sewing, but finally Lukas was finally done and I stood infront of a tall mirror. I peered into the mirror and hardly recognised myself. It sounds ridiculous I know, but it's crazy what a change in style can do to a person. I was dressed in similar clothes to Mathias and Lukas, but my cloth tunic being light blue. My trousers were beige and puffy, and really comfortable if I'm being honest! And remember what I said earlier about the shoes looking uncomfortable? I was wrong about that! The leather and cloth bound to my feet felt extremely cool and smooth on my feet, and were oddly supporting too. I couldn't feel the hard ground beneath me like I thought I would be able to. It was truly amazing that all of this was made by hand. Lukas truly was skilled. I couldn't help but wonder how long he had been doing this for, and if everyone here knew how to do this. He must have been not much older than me. I wonder what he was exiled for, if there was any reason at all…

"Well. I'd best be going. It's almost sun-down." Mathias stretched and stood up, walking over to a tall cupboard in the corner of the room. He opened it and pulled out some thick leather gloves, a pair of brown boots and belt with all kinds of pouches and tools hanging from it. I watched as he geared himself up before passing Lukas and me.

"Håll dig säker. Kan turen bli en verdig en." (Stay safe. I hope you trip is a worthy one.) Lukas said to him as he left.

"Takk. Det håber jeg också." (Thank you. I hope so too.)

Strangely, I loved hearing them speak in their language. It was soothing, in an odd way. It really was pretty special where I was. I know I've said this a lot, but this place really was like nowhere I had ever seen before. I loved the way that they lived. I wanted to explore. I wanted to run out in that open field. I suddenly felt more alive than I ever had.

"So. I suppose I'd better tell you about village life." Lukas addressed me, removing me from my thoughts. "There are some things you should know…"

I listened carefully as he explained where I was to go and where I wasn't. I felt like a small child being told about street smarts. Although I was missing home, I grew more and more interested with this place as Lukas continued. I discovered that the place was called Menetti Village, and is home to all of the exiles of Utopia. Although the village in itself was safe, I was told not to stray outside of the village gates alone.

"So where was Mathias going then? You seemed concerned about him when he left."

Lukas' expression softened considerably,

"We call ourselves the Vikings. There are several of us. Our job is to rescue people who were in your situation today. It's Mathias's groups turn today. Each night just before sundown is when we go, and bring anyone we find back here to recover. Like what we did with you."

"That's so brave of you. And such a kind thing to do." I was touched by how brave these people were. After seeing what kind of creatures were out there, I could never risk my life and face them!

"But you can't live here," Lukas continued, "In the village there is a list on the notice board of vacant huts. Sign up for whichever one you like. It'll be your new home."

I was really excited to go and explore the village. There seemed like so much to see, so many people to meet. But settling in here all sounded too easy, too simple, and the ache in my chest from missing home already hung heavy on my conscience.

"What are you standing around for? Go." Lukas shooed me out of the room and back into the tunnel.

"But-"

He exhaled an exasperated sigh, "We need to clear everyone out of here for when Mathias and his group returns. Go, please."

My stomach churned, but I made my way back up the steps, turning back hesitantly, but to find that Lukas was no longer in sight. I was a little mad at him for just sending me off on my own in a place that was basically a whole new world for me. Houses made from stone, straw and plaster, built among gigantic tree roots, strange pebbled roads, the people, the clothes, it was enough to drive someone mad when just thrown into it! Especially considering what I was used to. But it _was _beautiful… Magical even.

I emerged from the underground passage and strode back over the dusty land, following a small trail marked into the ground left by the hooves of horses and towards the village. Voices grew louder and louder as I approached, and within a few minutes I was standing by a fence on the outskirts of the busy little town.

"God kveld! Come and get a loaf before we sell our last ones! The last of today's batch! Get your loaves here!"

A man turned to me, holding a basket of bread.

"Good Sir! How many would you like to buy?"

I turned to look over my shoulder to see if I was the one being spoken to, but failed to see anyone else. The man began to approach me. He had shoulder length blonde hair, tied in a ponytail, draped over one shoulder with a blue ribbon. His clothes were simple, but elegant. He wore a light, cream coloured flowing shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, over brown dress pants and a floury apron over the top.

"Are you okay there? I've not seen you around before."

He appeared to have genuine concern on his face as he spoke, but he still displayed a hint of a kind smile.

"O-oh, yes, I'm just fine. You won't have seen me. I just got here. Sorry, I would love to try your bread, but I have nothing to pay you with." I said with a reluctant shrug.

He tutted and shook his head, out of pity, or the fact that I had no money though, I couldn't tell.

"A new exile? Such a shame… You're a pretty little thing. Here, take this. This one's on me. My name's Francis, proud owner of Bonnefoy Bakery." He said with a grin, bending down to my height and handing me a stick of bread. At first, I didn't take it, I didn't want charity, but he pressed it into my hands.

"T-Thank you very much, Sir. I appreciate it. My name is Tino." I smiled back, elated at his kindness.

"Not a problem, I-"

"Francis! The lovely lady here would like some bread!" a voice called out from the crowd, and Francis stopped in mid-sentence to turn and locate where it was coming from. Another blonde man was calling over to Francis, a woman stood by his side. He too was also wearing an apron, but with odd black smudges and burns across the front of it. His hair was a little darker, and didn't seem to follow any particular style. Dark eyebrows outlined his eyes, which were narrowed in Francis' direction.

"Well, duty calls! See you, darling!" And before I could even reply, he was gone, back into the crowd of people.

I had now gained a little more confidence, and began to walk around what seemed to be the main village square. Right in the centre there was a large, round water fountain. Children sat around the edges and splashed a little in the water. Various traders wandered around, calling out and advertising their wares. I could see people selling fruit and vegetables, pastries, and even someone with a basket full of fish. I took a bite from my bread as I walked, admiring everything that was going on around me while trying to look out for the notice board that Lukas had told me about. All I could see were streets and streets heading off in all sorts of directions though, lined with hundreds of houses, buildings, and market stalls.

Everything seemed so happy, so busy. I was used to living in a world full of harsh, strict rules, always under the watchful eye of the correctional facility. So here I stood out, unable to adapt to my new surroundings. I slumped down on the edge of the fountain and sighed heavily. My bread forgotten about as it rolled from my lap. I was so confused. Every time I asked a question, I never seemed to get an answer. Why did everyone keep talking about exiles? What the fuck is an exile? And why am I here? I couldn't help it, the tears started to flow again. Pressing my hands over my face, I tried to cover myself up. I was so embarrassed, but so scared at the same time. My emotions were up and down like a yo-yo. Whenever I saw something interesting, I would think about how my mother would love to see this, which brought me back to the reality that she was no longer with me, which made my hate myself for having fun and smiling.

"Hey, Mister. Are you okay?" I felt someone tugging at my sleeve and I looked up, taking my hands from my face and resting them in my lap, to see a young boy sat next to me on the wall of the fountain. His big, blue eyes gazed up at me, a look of concern etched onto his little round face.

"C'mon, you can't be sad. What's wrong?"

I shook my head and laughed a little at his naivety.

"I'm just having a strange day... don't worry about me."

He looked down at the ground for a moment, his legs swinging, nowhere near the ground. His clothes were a little worn, and his face and hair were dirty. He must have been about eight or nine at the most, yet here he was, concerned about the well-being of others. A complete stranger even. Suddenly, music began to play and he looked up quickly, a large smile now covering his face. Jumping down from the wall he took hold of my hands and pulled me up.

"Roderich and his musicians are about to start playing, come and dance with me, Mister!"

My heart swelled. Now I couldn't help but smile as the small boy pulled me along, following the sound of the music. It was a beautiful combination of drumming, violins and some strange instruments that I didn't recognise, the beat quick and cheerful. People began clapping along and dancing in pairs, arms linked together and feet tapping and stomping in synchronisation. It was truly amazing how everyone came together so quickly. I spun around with the little blonde boy, who was laughing and giggling, waving to a few of his friends. I got into it pretty fast, completely forgetting about being sad, clapping my hands and spinning the boy around. The beat got faster, and more people began to join in. Suddenly, someone linked their arms with mine and pulled me away from the boy. She danced with me for a few moments, grinning and laughing wildly before passing me on again. Looking around, I saw that everyone was doing this, and strangely I felt so comfortable doing so. The music got faster and faster, and I got passed around faster too. Then, I found myself in the arms of a very tall and scary looking man. I jumped when I saw his face; he seemed to be glaring unlike all of the other happy faces around me.

We spun around a little awkwardly, and then the music came to an end. He still had his arm snaked around my waist and my hand in his, and it took me a few minutes to register what had happened before I hurried to let go. I stuttered a flustered apology and fidgeted under his gaze.

"Don't apologise. Th't was fun, ja?"

I laughed breathlessly. His voice was deep, and he had a strange accent. His clothes weren't that different to the ones Lukas made for me either, apart from the long, deep blue cape that draped over his shoulders. "Y-Yeah, it was. I've never done anything like that before."

"Berwald! Did you see that? That was amazing! I did good, didn't I?"

The boy from earlier came bounding over, tugging at the mans' - Berwald's - trouser leg. He reached down and ruffled his hair, giving a simple nod. "Ja, Peter, you were good."

"You did good too! And you stopped crying!" he turned to address me, and true, I had stopped crying. I had forgotten all about being unhappy. There was a true magic about this place.

"You were cryin'? 'Bout wha'?" Berwald asked bluntly, turning to me.

"It's nothing, really." I shrugged it off, not wanting to bother anyone with my whining, especially a stranger I had only just been acquainted with.

"You're new here, ja?"

I sighed, "Yeah.. I am."

"Foun' a place t' live yet? A job?"

"No to both of those questions. I'm not having a very good day if I'm honest."

All was silent for a few moments before Peter took hold of my hand again.

"Come with us, we will show you a house where you can live!"

I looked up and glanced at Berwald, unsure of what to do. To my surprise, he nodded and began to walk away, Peter tugging me to follow.

We turned down one of the little side streets, passing merchants and stalls on the way. Tall houses towered over us in the narrow alleyway, and when I looked up I could see clothes on washing lines hanging from one window to another and all sorts of colourful flags hanging from window sills. Peter now skipped happily infront, Berwald loping close behind him, and then there was me on their trail.

We walked for not even a minute before we emerged into a clearing and I found myself surrounded by a circle of small little huts, all facing each other. Each was made from wood and plaster, with a little thatched roof. They were a lot more down scale than the ones we had passed in the village, but I preferred these ones. Although they all looked the same, each was different in its own way, and just by looking at the house you could tell what sort of person lived there. For example, smoke poured from the chimney of one house, soft music came from inside and there was all sorts of strange symbols carved into the wooden door.

Berwald and Peter glanced over their shoulder, probably to check if I was still following, before leading me to the front door of a house. They stopped outside of it. Peter gave me a thumbs up, and Berwald nodded towards the door. Pushing it open gently, I was met with a cosy little living room. It was barely furnished, but had the potential to be really cosy. So much different from my house back home. Well, I couldn't call it home anymore.

To my surprise, there was a fitted kitchen, with a sink and even a beat up refrigerator. A small room off to the back, where I could only guess that's where the bathroom was. It wasn't much, but now it was home.

"Yah c'n get furniture ov'r time an' make this house yer own. Me an Peter live jus' next door. So come by if yah need anthin'. Ah hope ya like yer new home." Berwald hung around in the doorway, probably shy about intruding.

I beamed a genuine smile in his direction, elated that I had somewhere to live, I was panicking earlier about ending up homeless. I still had to ask about finding a job, but there was always tomorrow for that. Right now, I just wanted sleep.

"Thank you, Berwald. I appreciate this so much."

He nodded and began to close the door when Peter stuck his foot in.

"Hey, Mister! Will you visit us tomorrow?"

I chuckled, "Of course I will."

"Great! We can show you everything! Berwald can even train you! Oh and by the way, we don't know your name!"

Train me? For what? Berwald seemed flustered at the idea, but didn't say anything. Perhaps I ought to go round tomorrow…

"Oh, my name? It's Tino. Tino Väinämöinen."

* * *

A/N: The ending is really rushed, oh my gosh I'm sorry. But this has been playing on my mind for a long time, and I re wrote the ending several times. I decided to just leave it here instead of babbling on for ages, and pick it up again next chapter.

I was so happy with the reviews I got last chapter, eight reviews is the most I've ever gotten in a fic.

Thank you very much for reading, and please review if you can. I need to know what you think of this chapter, as I'm really skeptical about my writing style.

I have a feeling this story is going to be very long, with many plot twists.

Oh and in reply to a review that I got, yes the Baltic's will be in this a couple of times.

-SoggyTeabags.


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter three:_

"Ya want t' know 'bout me?" Berwald asked, his brows rose in surprise. He shot me a glance before returning his attention to the boiling pot of water on the stove. He towered over the small little appliance, which was quite an amusing sight.

It was the beginning of my first day as an exile in Menetti Village. I had woken up early after tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep. It was stuffy and the air was clammy in my new little home, and the bed sheets were extremely itchy. Not knowing what else to do, I paid a visit to Berwald and Peter like I said I would. Their home was quite the opposite of mine, despite looking identical from the outside. It was widely furnished, and very homely. Rugs covered the hard, stone floor, and the walls were covered in paintings, drawings and charts. I sat at the large wooden table in the centre and sipped some kind of herbal tea from a mug that Berwald had brewed for me. He welcomed me into his home like we had known each other for years. Despite his cold looks and stoic demeanour, he was a calm and caring person. A huge softy really; which just by looking at him, one would not think true at all. At first I felt intimidated by him, but now that certainly wasn't the case.

He bustled around in the little kitchen area for a while before coming to sit down with me at the table, setting down his own mug. Peter was still asleep, so the two of us talked quietly.

"Yes, I want to know how you ended up here. Why do you sound so surprised?"

He paused to take a large mouthful of tea before replying,

"Not many people are intr'sted in knowin' 'bout me. It's not tha' excitin' anyway."

I leaned forward, resting my chin in my hands and gazing at him, urging him to continue. He fidgeted and averted my gaze, but then sighed,

"Ok fine. I was exiled 'cause the person I was datin' was 'nother man."

"Wait, what? That's it? You were exiled because you're gay?"

He nodded slowly.

"Berwald, I… I don't know what to say. That's awful. You were taken away from your friends and family just because of your sexual orientation and dumped here. I'm sorry."

"'s ok. I accept it now. This is the way things are. People've been exiled for worse reasons."

I felt my heart breaking at the sadness in his voice as he spoke. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to his partner, but I didn't dare ask. It was none of my business and he probably didn't want to talk about it too much.

"What happened to you? How did you end up here?"

"I was taken by th' correctional facil'ty. Don't know how they foun' out about who I was datin', bu' they did an' took me. It was like a hospital. They do tests. I was like a guinea pig, an' once they were done with me, I ended up 'ere."

I always knew something went on behind closed doors in that place, but I never imagined it to be as bad as that.

"And so… How long have you been here?"

He shrugged. "'Bout seven years."

Seven years. It seemed to not phase him. Being here that long though must have changed his opinion about a lot of things and perhaps altered his way of thinking. It was a lot different out here. I was starting to think that it was possibly better than back in Utopia. Out here you were truly free. I also felt much happier out here. Like the real Tino could flourish. That sounds super cheesy doesn't it? I hope you catch what I'm trying to say here…

"Do you ever miss your old life?"

There was quite a long pause this time before Berwald replied. I began to regret asking that question, as Berwald just sat and started at the bottom of his mug.

"No. I don't." his reply came as a surprise to me.

"Y-you don't?"

"No. Now that I'm 'ere I realised that out 'ere is the real Utopia. Free to do whatever we want to do. Here I can actually say that I'm happy. I never had friends back in Utopia, I still don't really, but out 'ere everyone is kinda one big family."

He was still avoiding eye contact with me as he continued.

"Take Peter fer example. He was left out 'ere when he was only 'bout four years old. Nobody knows how old he really is. We all say he's 'bout seven. But tha's not the point. He was left out here to die because of some stupid reason. Nobody knows that either. A lot of people don't know why they're 'ere. I don't know why the government of Utopia does what they do, or who's behind it all, but out 'ere is how people should be living life. We get by on what we have. Not everyone is happy. But I prefer life out 'ere. I wish I had grown up here all of ma life. I hope ya understand wha' I'm tryin' to explain to you..."

He began to get a bit flustered and red-faced, but that was understandable. That was the most I had heard him speak, and I could tell that he wasn't really used to speaking to people. As he stated earlier, he didn't really have any friends. I wished that that wasn't true. You probably think that I'm crazy. I've known this man for less than 24 hours. But he just spilled his heart out to me. The way he cared for Peter like he was his own son. It made my heart melt that such a big strong man like Berwald could be so gentle and caring. I felt a little comforted though knowing that I was not the only one who didn't know why they were exiled.

I could see though that I was beginning to touch on a touchy subject, so I decided to change the subject. Looking around I noticed a lack of all things electrical; save from the refrigerator. It was strange… they clearly had an electricity supply, how else would the fridge be running? Yet I failed to see something such as a television set or a radio.

"So then, what do you guys do for fun around here? I can't see a TV or anything…"

"No signal out 'ere."

Of course. That would be it. I mentally facepalmed for being so dumb.

"But c'mon. I'll show ya."

Berwald stood up from the table picking up his mug and gulping down the last few drops quickly before gesturing to collect mine also. I handed it to him and he placed them in the basin gently, letting water from the pump in the wall trickle out and run over them. Leaving them to soak in the water, he then made his way over to the door and slid on a pair of tall leather boots.

Today he was wearing a low cut cloth shirt tied together loosely with string, like you would see shoelaces on a shoe, and thick navy trousers which he tucked into his boots. The shirt showed off his muscular chest well, causing me to blush a little at having noticed. I on the other hand was still wearing yesterday's clothing, having slept in them too. I felt rather unclean, but what else was I supposed to do? This was the only outfit I had now.

"We should ge' ya some clothes too." Berwald said suddenly, as if he read my mind. He looked my way, his eyes creasing a little behind his glasses and his mouth curled into a soft smile. I hadn't seen his smile yet, and to be honest I was under the impression that I wasn't really going to. But there it was.

I smiled back, but then suddenly remembered about Peter sleeping in the other room. "What about Peter? Shouldn't we take him with us?"

"He'll be fine. He insists he doesn't need me t' take care of him. So I let 'im prove it t' me sometimes." Berwald simply replied with a shrug. "There's some tea in the pot fer him."

One would think Peter was his own son by the way that he cared for him. Though it was a little odd for him to be left alone as such a young age, he was probably used to fending for himself out here. He was, after all, an exile just like everyone else.

Deciding it was best not to challenge Berwald about it, I stood and followed him out of the door, gently closing it behind me.

* * *

My feet were beginning to ache, but I was amazed by the amount that there was to do out here! We had been walking around for what must have been well over an hour. Berwald had practically taken me everywhere that there was to go. He seemed to enjoy explaining what things were to me, and doing his best to answer any question I might have.

The best thing that he showed me was something called "Archery". We stood in wooden stalls surrounding a large arena. People stood inside of the arena and shot sharp sticks called arrows at a target on a sack of hay. It looked extremely difficult, but so fun! Many people watched in the stalls with us, but they weren't watching just archery. There were other things going on too. Berwald explained to me that this was the training grounds, and people came here to learn how to defend themselves against the monsters and creatures that roamed these lands. They also learnt to hunt and make things.

"I train here often with Lukas and Mathias." Berwald informed me. I had mentioned Lukas and Mathias after watching some people practising craft. I wondered if this is where Lukas learned how to sew. It turned out that it wasn't, much to my disappointment, as I would love to learn too.

"I'd love to see you train one day, Berwald. Maybe I could try too!" I added my last part in high hopes of getting my hands on a bow and arrow, or perhaps another type of weapon, like a sword or a dagger. Either way, I wanted in.

He scoffed a little, but didn't refuse. He simply nodded.

"Ja. Ready to go?"

"Go? Where? What else is there left to see?" I laughed a little in disbelief that there was still more left to see. I had already seen the Tavern, the Training grounds, the Bakery, the Markets, the Tailors and many more places. I got fitted for three new outfits while we were in the tailors, which Berwald kindly bought for me. I was over the moon and couldn't find words to express my appreciation. I promised to repay him as soon as I found myself a job and got some money of my own pocketed. He also showed me the currency that they used here. It was a lot different than the currency used back in Utopia. The coins were pretty though, even if they were quite heavy and chunky. They were called Kroners, and were circular in shape with a hole in the middle.

"Jus' this one last place."

Berwald began to leave the stalls and head back toward the village square. Of course I followed him, but I couldn't help but wonder why we were going back the way that we had came from.

"Berwald, haven't we already been down this way?"

"Ja." Came his only reply. Sighing I quickened my pace to match is, but then stopped suddenly when we had reached our destination. Berwald had turned down a small little side street, and almost immediately we came to the most wonderful shop I had ever seen.

The outside was made from sandy coloured stones with vines and plants running along the front of it, intertwining with the cracks and framework. Little green shutters outlined the top two windows, while the bottom covered almost the front of the shop. Rows and rows of glass jars filled the window, complimented by a colourful background of draped cloths and material. The jars looked to be filled with beads of glass, ranging greatly in colour, shape and size.

Berwald entered the shop, the bell tinkling overhead as he did so. I noticed that the sign above the door read "_Lilli's Confectionary_". I followed him in and to my amazement I was greeted with more colour than I could ever imagine, and the most wonderful smell. Shelves covered the walls like bookshelves in a library and reached all the way up to the ceiling. A ladder leaned against the far wall, obviously it was used to reach the jars way out of reach. There was easily way over one hundred jars just along one wall alone. At the back of the shop was a counter cluttered with yet more things. These ones though looking a lot like the candy bars that I used to have back home.

Two boys leaned over the counter chatting idly. The one behind the counter had beautiful, almost white hair. His friend however was the opposite. His hair was dark, sleek and in a choppy style. He appeared to be of another race too.

"Berwald, this is amazing! What are all these things in the jars? It smells so good!" I said to Berwald excitedly in a hushed whisper.

"This is a Sweet Shop. The things in the jars are jus' sugar. Ya can eat 'em. Like candy."

"Wow… but they're so pretty! They look like they must taste really good."

I had a pretty big sweet tooth. My Mother always told me off for eating too many candy bars. They were so boring though, nothing like what I could see here! I always tried to create my own different flavours, as there were only two available back in Utopia. I often spread things on the candy bars like Jam, salt and crushed peanuts. It wasn't that great, but I enjoyed it, even if I got some odd looks.

"Pick something."

Berwald nodded toward the shelves.

"Berwald, no. I can't pay you yet! As much as I appreciate it, you have to stop buying things for me."

He just stared at me, expression unreadable.

"Choose some fer me then."

I rolled my eyes, but I was secretly delighted to let my eyes wander over all of the different kinds of sweets in the jars. I tried to pick out some that Berwald might like, but it was hard for I didn't know what they tasted like! Eventually I spotted some that I thought would suit Berwald. They were shaped like little diamonds, and were black in colour.

"What about those ones?"

I pointed them out, and he grunted in response giving a slight nod. He turned towards the white haired boy, who came out from behind the counter to fetch the ladder. He was really quite short, so he would need to ladder.

"Hey Berwald. Who's your friend?" he glanced at me as he passed and smiled a little. But I didn't smile back. He was taller than me! And he looked half my age! When he wasn't stood by me he looked really small, smaller than me. But no. He was taller. In case you didn't know, I'm really short for my age. People younger than me tend to still be taller than me*, and it gets on my nerves because people assume that I'm weak and babyish because of it. Which I'm not. So yeah, you could say I was a bit pissed.

"Name's Tino. Tino this is Emil. Lukas' baby brother."

Emil's head whipped around to glare at Berwald.

"Don't call me his baby brother! I'm not a little kid anymore! Now what sweets do you want."

It appears that Emil also has something that ticks him off like I do. He doesn't like being called "Baby Brother". Interesting. I decided not to hate him because of his height, because that _would_ make me babyish wouldn't it?

"Those ones please." I pointed out the ones that I had chosen for Berwald, and he climbed up the ladder to get them down.

"How many grams?" I froze when he asked me. Grams? What are grams? Thankfully, Berwald came to my rescue.

"150 please."

Emil nodded and took the jar behind the counter and poured them out into a metal dish. There were two dishes hanging from the scale on small chains. In the other dish he put in heavy pieces of metal and poured until they levelled out. Grams must be the unit that they use for weight here.

Emil's friend watched us silently, blowing a bubble every now and then with his bubblegum.

"Leon what are you still doing here?! Can't you see we have customers?"

Suddenly a man emerged from a door leading off into the back of the shop. Leon's bubblegum popped and stuck all over his face as he jumped at being addressed so suddenly. I couldn't help but giggle a little. Even Berwald smirked.

"Tha's the shop owner. Basch." Berwald leant down to my height and told me quietly while Leon was getting a lecture about hanging around in the shop, getting in the way of customers and distracting his employee. I was a little confused as to why then shops name was "Lilli's" then, if the owner was a male called Basch. I'd ask Berwald about that later.

Reluctantly, Leon left the shop, taking Emil's' hand and placing a kiss on it before he left. It was probably one of the sweetest things ever. Emil flushed beetroot red and froze up for a second, and Leon left with a spring in his step and a smug little grin on his face. I assumed that they were dating, or perhaps just started dating judging by Emil's reaction. Basch simply rolled his eyes.

"Emil I need you to go and take the mix from the barrels and start pouring them into the moulds. I'll be in to help you in a second. You've wasted enough time this morning. Now go before I dock your pay."

He seemed a little… harsh. But nonetheless, Emil did as he was told and scurried off into the back room. Now that I thought about it, he wasn't like Lukas at all to say that they were brothers. Sure, they were both a little awkward, but Emil seemed easier to get along with than Lukas.

"You must be Tino." Basch addressed me, much to my confusion.

"Y-yes sir, I am."

"Berwald told me about your situation. I'd be happy to take you on here for part time employment."

My face lit up. Berwald placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You'll be starting tomorrow. 9:00 sharp."

"Thank you so much Mr. Basch, sir!"

He held out his hand, which I gladly shook, thrilled at being able to work in such an amazing shop. I'd hopefully get to try out the sweets too! For free!

We left the shop shortly after that. Basch handed Berwald his bag of sweets and he paid for them before we left. The walk home was slow. We talked as we walked and Berwald unwrapped his sweets. He popped one into his mouth, but pulled a face and spat it out into the floor almost straight away. I doubled over in stitches from laughing at the face he made.

"'s not funny." He grumbled as I wiped tears from my eyes and stood up straight again.

"Was it not good?" I said in-between giggles.

"No. Tastes like… I don't even know wha' it tastes like. 'ere. Try one fer yerself."

I'd stopped laughing now and hesitantly took one from the bag. I popped it into my mouth and began to chew. It wasn't bad at all! It tasted like salt, and it was really chewy! I smiled up at Berwald triumphantly, my teeth and tongue black and sticky from the sweet.

"It's good! I like it!"

"Yer mad," Berwald chuckled as he tossed the bag at me. "Take 'em."

In thanks, I took a large handful and shoved them all into my mouth at once, earning another chuckled and a ruffle of the hair from Berwald. I could really get used to living here. I'd already found a good friend, an amazing job, and got myself settled in. I thought about what Berwald had said earlier about not missing life back in Utopia, and after the events of today, I was starting to agree with him.

* * *

**A/N:**

*_ Although it's not clarified which Nordic is either the shortest or the tallest, in a lot of Himaruya's art, Finland is usually drawn to be the shortest. I guess this has developed into a little headcanon of mine, that Tino is the shortest of the Nordics, and gets rather miffed if he is judged on his height. _

Well. There you go. Again, nothing major happened. But for now, nothing much will. I have some huge plot twists planned though, and I can't wait to start throwing them into the mix. So how did you like this chapter? I hope I managed to clear some things up. Just incase it's hard to understand if I haven't explained it very well, I'll explain a little bit about Utopia here.

Basically, Utopia is supposed to be like a new modern world that is closed off to the rest of the world. The citizens pretty much don't know what real grass feels like. That's how closed off from life they are. They don't have sweet shops, they don't have things such as archery and pubs/bars. They don't even have alcohol. Out in Menetti Village, they have access to old books, which they have used to create things like sweets and beer etc. By using the knowledge from history books and creating everything by hand. I won't explain too much, as I don't want to ruin anything, but that was just in case you were having a hard time imagining what life back in Utopia was like, and why Tino is finding simple things such as sweets so fascinating. It's all new to him. And yes, the sweets he picked out was Salmiakki.

To answer a few questions: yes, there will be pairings. I'm not saying which ones yet, other than the obvious one. There will be eventual SuFin. Also, about the Baltics. I can't promise that their appearance into the story will be a happy one. So just to warn you on that one.

Thanks for reading, please review if you can. I'd appreciate it so much.

(Edit 19/06/13: Alright, so over 700 people have viewed this fic since I posted chapter three - Thank you so much- but I've only had one review. I know reviews aren't everything, but I would really like to know what you think about the story so far. So please, review! Even if you hate it, I don't care. I just want to hear the voices of my readers!)

See you next chapter.


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